Rains Fail to Quell Dhaka's 'Unhealthy' Air Quality

Dhaka's air quality slipped back to the “unhealthy” zone on Tuesday, despite intermittent showers a day before.

With an air quality index (AQI) score of 103 at 9 am, the metropolis ranked 7th in the list of world cities with the worst air quality, reports UNB.

An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.

Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi, and Vietnam’s Hanoi occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 159, 152, and 140, respectively.

Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.

In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and Ozone.

Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.

Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases,